The Road to Nowhere

Chapter 25: Dawn

Chapter 25

The truck stops violently, almost making me fall over. I jump out to go and break the news to Robbie as compassionately as I can. The moon is setting, I can tell that it should be morning in a few hours. The air is crisp and cold. The faint clicking of grasshoppers echo through the woods. As I walk towards the front of the truck, I can see our van peaking through the branches we covered it with.

The thought about Wilbur being in there all alone makes me upset. I'm already burdened with the thought of Linda ending up dying, but thinking about Wilbur makes it worse. I try to give myself hope that Linda will live, but in the back of my mind I know she won't. The bullet went through her stomach, probably piercing a hole in most of her vital organs.

Why is everyone dying? I understand it's the apocalypse, and there's a fucked up virus taking over the world, but too many people are dying from others, other people that aren't infected. In this world, it would make sense to think that everyone has been dying from the infected. I mean, there's probably millions out there. It would be impossible to avoid them. The fact that my father, Phoebe, and now Linda are all dead because of people. The uninfected, the people that are supposed to have morals, compassion for the living, and the will to kill every single mother fucking infected out there. Are we the only ones that care about humanity?

As I approach the front of the truck the drivers side door swings open with such a force that it startles me. Robbie jumps down, gun in hand. His long hair falls down over his ears, which move from side to side in the sight breeze. Everything not covered by the uniform is dirty and sweaty. The stubble on his face is getting longer, soon he'll have a beard. His brown eyes look deeper in the dark.

"I saw those things..." He pauses looking rather terrified, "Chasing us. Are they still out there?"

I clear my throat to try and take the anxiety away of having to tell him about Linda. "No." My answer is short. "You need to follow me." I decide to just let him see for himself. I don't have the guts to tell him.

I have never seen his face more concerned about anything. Even when Daniel died, he was tough about it and showed no emotion. But I know the words I said gave him an idea of what happened.

He runs right passed me and to the back of the truck. I can't help but start to cry. I know what's coming, and it's going to be hell. My chest tightens as I follow him. I'm afraid of what's going to happen.

Once I turn the corner I see Robbie holding Linda in his arms like a baby. He's rocking her back and forth, silently letting the tears run down his cheeks. Layke and Scooter stand behind him and Cameron has Brianna's head in his lap, he combs his fingers through her hair lightly.

Linda's lost a lot of blood, her shirt is drenched. Her skin is getting paler by the second, and the tips of her fingers are starting to turn a small tint of purple. The floor of the truck is also covered in blood. Robbie's sitting right in it, soaking his uniform.

Robbie pushes on her wound, "What happened!" He raises voice in anger.

"When we were leaving.... the soldiers were shooting at us... and...." Scooter says, but stops before he gets emotional.

Linda raises her hand up to Robbie's cheek. She tries to smile, but the blood dripping out of her mouth makes the gesture have no effect. Robbie smiles back, trying to hide his crying from her.

"You're going to be okay." He says softly.

Linda's smile gets bigger, she manages to push a small laugh out of her mouth. "I know what's going to happen."

It feels like the ribs in my chest are squeezing the life out of me. For some reason, her knowing that she's going to die tears my heart open. I couldn't imagine how that would feel. But maybe it would be a good thing. To get away from all these horrible monsters, sounds like it would be relaxing. Not having to worry anymore sounds good, like it's worth it. Even though that sounds wonderful, I wouldn't be able to leave the people I love. I would freak out. I wouldn't be able to leave Bri here without me. She's already lost everyone but me.